2000
#12,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Samano
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word "saman," meaning "pasture" or "grassland."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,954 Americans carry the last name Samano. That puts it at #9,102 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samano surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,685
Census rank
#9,102
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,448 bearers of the surname Samano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9102nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samano
The surname Samano has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "samano," which means "willow tree." This connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or had some association with willow trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias de Castilla, a medieval census document from the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Samano, Samanio, and Samaniego, reflecting the variations that emerged over time.
During the 15th century, the surname gained prominence in the northern regions of Spain, particularly in Cantabria and Asturias. Many historical records from this period mention individuals bearing the name Samano, indicating their presence and influence in these areas.
One notable figure was Juan de Samano, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman and military leader from the town of Samano in Cantabria. He played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
In the 16th century, the surname Samano spread to the New World as Spanish explorers and settlers ventured across the Atlantic. Juan de Samano, born in 1525 in Santander, Spain, was among the first to carry the name to the Americas, settling in what is now Mexico.
Another prominent individual was Alonso de Samano, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator. He participated in various expeditions to the Americas and is credited with mapping and charting several coastal regions in present-day Chile and Peru.
During the 17th century, the Samano family established itself in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Philippines. One notable figure from this period was Gaspar de Samano, a Spanish colonist and landowner who played a significant role in the economic development of the Philippines during the early stages of Spanish rule.
In the 18th century, the Samano surname gained recognition in the field of education. Francisco Samano, born in 1721 in Madrid, was a renowned educator and author who founded several schools and wrote influential treatises on teaching methods.
As the surname spread across the globe, it underwent various linguistic adaptations and spelling variations, such as Samaniego, Samanez, and Samaniego, reflecting the diverse cultural influences it encountered in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samano
Among Census respondents with the surname Samano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Samano bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Samano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.3% · 3,079
- White7.7% · 266
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 60
- Two or more races0.7% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samano
Samano appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,547
+1,232 bearers (+53.2%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 3,122 places
2020
#9,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,448
-99 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,317 | 2,315 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,195 | 3,547 | 1.20 | +1,232 bearers (+53.2%) | Up 3,122 places |
| 2020 | #9,102 | 3,448 | 1.15 | -99 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 93 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Samano surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,195 | #9,102 | 1.0% |
| Count | 3,547 | 3,448 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.15 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samano bearers went from 3,547 to 3,448 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,195 to #9,102.
FAQ
Samano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samano?
Name Census estimates that about 3,954 living Americans carry the surname Samano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,685 residents.
How common is Samano?
Samano ranks #9,102 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,448 people with the surname Samano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,954), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Samano.
Has Samano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samano went from 3,547 recorded bearers to 3,448. That is a decrease of 99 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,195 to #9,102.
What does the Census say about the background of Samano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Samano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (3,079 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.3%), White (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Samano (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Samano mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Basque word "saman," meaning "pasture" or "grassland." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Samano (1.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Samano?
You can see how common the surname Samano is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.